Morning briefings: Mobile number portability comes into effect

From today mobile phone users will be able to retain their numbers when they relocate to any part of the country even if they change operators as full mobile number portability (MNP) has come into effect. The move is set to benefit millions of Indian phone users as it paves the way for the government's 'one nation, one number' plan aimed at simplifying the system.

Aadhaar cards for children, to meet December deadline

After issuing 87 crore Aadhaar numbers till July 1, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has started an aggressive drive to issue Aadhaar to infants and children below 18 years and it looks to ensure " universal coverage" by December.

Sensex up about 150 points, rupee hits one-month high vs dollar

The S&P BSE Sensex surged over 150 points in trade on Friday despite muted trend seen in other Asian markets. The rally in the index was led by gains in Lupin, Sun Pharma, M&M, Bajaj Auto and ONGC. The 50-share Nifty index managed to recoup losses to reclaim its crucial psychological level of 8450.Rupee gained 15 paise to hit one-month high of 63.36.
Heavy rains trigger landslides in Darjeeling and Rudraprayag

Monsoon rains are continuing to wreak havoc across the country. Incessant rains have triggered deadly landslides in Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand. Many houses have been crushed in the landslide and several roads including the Haldwani-Ramnagar highway have been blocked. Meanwhile fresh landslides have been reported from various parts of Darjeeling. The road connecting Mirik and Darjeeling to the plains Gayabari area has been blocked. Road connectivity to Sikkim has been cut off since Thursday.

RBI to soon test waters with plastic notes of one denomination

RBI will soon "test waters" for plastic currency, beginning with Rs 10 notes and the process should be "fully on" in the coming year. In February 2014, the government had informed Parliament that one billion plastic notes of Rs 10 denomination would be introduced in a field trial in five cities selected for their geographical and climatic diversity.

China's major stock indices tumbled 7 percent early Friday, following reports by official media that China's securities regulator The China Securities Regulatory Commission was preparing to investigate possible market manipulation. Chinese stocks have lost 30 percent since June, and policymakers have been struggling to maintain support for the market.
Department of Personnel and Training disclosing ‘incomplete’ information under RTI

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the nodal department for Right to Information Act, is itself not disclosing information as laid down under the transparency law. The third-party audit was conducted by the Indian Institute of Public Administration at DoPT's request. The audit report says information being provided by DoPT is in a technical manner which "needs simplification from user's perspective".

Hema Malini's car driver held, child dies in accident

Actress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Hema Malini's driver has been arrested for over-speeding, negligent driving after the actor's Mercedes car collided with a Maruti Alto car one killing a 5-year-old child. The incident took place near Dausa in Rajasthan while she was on her way to Jaipur.Driver Mahesh Thakur has been booked under sections 304, 337 and 338. Hema Malini had suffered minor injuries and is out of danger.

Rules for declaring foreign assets to be notified today

the government will on Friday notify the rules and the details a person has to submit while declaring assets and incomes in foreign countries under the new Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act.

Stalin's slapping video goes viral across social media

Video clips of DMK leader M.K. Stalin ‘slapping’ a fellow passenger on Chennai Metro Rail on Wednesday went viral on social media with thousands sharing it. Stalin, meanwhile, has clarified that he only reprimanded an overenthusiastic party cadre.

BP to pay US $18.7 billion settlement over deadly 2010 oil spill

BP will pay up to $18.7 billion in penalties to the U.S. government and five states to resolve nearly all claims from its deadly Gulf of Mexico oil spill five years ago in the largest corporate settlement in U.S. history.The agreement comes on top of the $43.8 billion that BP has already set aside for criminal and civil penalties and cleanup costs.

Devyani Khobragade, the 1999-batch IFS officer whose arrest and handcuffing in New York in 2013 over alleged visa fraud led to souring in India-US ties, has been reinstated as director in the ministry of external affairs, a few months after she was stripped of her duties and placed on "compulsory wait" after she gave interviews to the media in which she termed a vigilance inquiry against her as unfair.

One Rank One Pension row: Ex-servicemen may skip 1965 war function

Ex-servicemen protesting against the delay in implementation of One Rank One Pension policy may cast a shadow over the Narendra Modi government's plans to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1965 India-Pakistan war.The ex-servicemen, who have been on a hunger strike since June 15, have called for boycott of all government functions. They have set new deadline to declare OROP by July 15.

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